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Illuminated

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Illuminated

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Overview

Some loves are not made to last . . . Like Romeo and Juliet, Heloise and Abelard were doomed from the start, and their romance was destined to pass into history. Yet when sixteen-year-old Callie Martin discovers a diary hidden within an antique book, their story - and hers - takes on another life. For the diary leads Callie to the brilliant and handsome August, who is just as mysterious as the secret the diary hides. Their attraction is undeniable. As the two hunt down the truth behind the diary - and that of Heloise and Abelard's ancient romance - their romance becomes all-consuming. But Callie knows it can't last . . . love never does. Will their love that burns as bright as a shooting star flame out, or will these star-crossed lovers be able to defy history?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781101552896
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	12/08/2011
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
File size:	235 KB
Age Range:	12 Years

About the Author

Erica Orloff is the author of the middle-grade fantasy series The Magickeepers, and many contemporary romances. A native New Yorker, she is an avid Yankees fan. She currently resides in Virginia with her three youngest children and a menagerie of pets, including dogs, a cat, a parrot, a snake, and an African pygmy hedgehog. In her free time, she downloads an insane amount of music for her iPod and likes to garden. She can be reached at her website: www.ericaorloff.com

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Orloff’s combination coming-of-age, historical mystery, ghost story, and romance satisfies on many levels." —Publishers Weekly

"A great read for those who enjoy historical love stories. In addition, the intertwining sub-plots connect the present-day characters and events to the corresponding ancient ones in the novel. This interweaving of the two levels creates a sense of mystery and intrigue for the reader. Consequently, the author beckons you to follow Callie on her journey to the ends of the earth to seek out this sought-after manuscript." —VOYA
"The hunt for the origins of a medieval tome sets the backdrop for revelations and romance in a Boston teen’s savvy first-person tale. A beach read that might inspire an interest in history." —Kirkus Reviews

"Fans of romance will enjoy this layered story of young love and ancient love. . . the author keeps the reader hooked with swift spacing, and intriguing back stories." —Children's Literature

From the B&N Reads Blog

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Editorial Reviews

The discovery of an ancient palimpsest, a medieval Book of Hours written over an earlier composition, sparks a quest to unearth its origins. Sixteen-year old Callie interns with her uncle, an illuminated manuscripts expert, and joins NYU student August on a treasure hunt that turns dangerous once the book’s value becomes known. Their search takes them from Manhattan to Paris, unveiling layers of parallel love stories along the way. Visionary dreams lead them to the centuries-old star-crossed love affair of Heloise and Abelard, and their tragically abandoned son, Astrolabe. Callie’s personal quest to understand her long-dead mother (“I’ve spent my life... hoping she would whisper to me the way the scrawl in the margin whispered to Uncle Harry”) feeds her yearning, while her keen observation of both healthy loves (Harry and his partner, Gabe) and destructive ones (her father and his numerous girlfriends) provides instruction in the promise and perils of passion, as her feelings for August grow. Though occasionally choppy, Orloff’s (the Magickeepers series) combination coming-of-age, historical mystery, ghost story, and romance satisfies on many levels. Ages 12–up. (Dec.)

Publishers Weekly

"Orloff’s combination coming-of-age, historical mystery, ghost story, and romance satisfies on many levels." —Publishers Weekly
"A great read for those who enjoy historical love stories. In addition, the intertwining sub-plots connect the present-day characters and events to the corresponding ancient ones in the novel. This interweaving of the two levels creates a sense of mystery and intrigue for the reader. Consequently, the author beckons you to follow Callie on her journey to the ends of the earth to seek out this sought-after manuscript." —VOYA
"The hunt for the origins of a medieval tome sets the backdrop for revelations and romance in a Boston teen’s savvy first-person tale. A beach read that might inspire an interest in history." —Kirkus Reviews
"Fans of romance will enjoy this layered story of young love and ancient love. . . the author keeps the reader hooked with swift spacing, and intriguing back stories." —Children's Literature

"Orloff’s combination coming-of-age, historical mystery, ghost story, and romance satisfies on many levels." —Publishers Weekly
"Fans of romance will enjoy this layered story of young love and ancient love. . . the author keeps the reader hooked with swift spacing, and intriguing back stories." —Children's Literature
"A great read for those who enjoy historical love stories. In addition, the intertwining sub-plots connect the present-day characters and events to the corresponding ancient ones in the novel. This interweaving of the two levels creates a sense of mystery and intrigue for the reader. Consequently, the author beckons you to follow Callie on her journey to the ends of the earth to seek out this sought-after manuscript." —VOYA

From the Publisher

Gr 7–11—Calliope, 16, is spending the summer with her Uncle Harry, who works in the rare book room of Manhattan's Royal Auction House, while her father jet sets around Europe with yet another girlfriend. It's been this way ever since her mother died, with Uncle Harry being Callie's rock as she and her father grow further and further apart. But this summer an illuminated manuscript with a murky past will bring a new love into Callie's life—if she's willing to accept it. Illuminated is an imperfect but well-written and readable novel. Callie is an endearing character, the mystery is intriguing, and the attraction is believable. There are some plot threads that seem to die mid-book (such as dangerous, elusive Tome Raider, who simply disappears), and others are tied up too neatly. Still, this sweet romance will attract plenty of readers, who will be willing to overlook its flaws.—Heather Miller Cover, Homewood Public Library, AL

School Library Journal

The hunt for the origins of a medieval tome sets the backdrop for revelations and romance in a Boston teen's savvy first-person tale. Callie spends the months before her senior year in Manhattan interning for her gay Uncle Harry, a manuscripts historian, who sets her up with an agoraphobic colleague's son. An eccentric student at NYU, August is also his father's custodian; the love-at-first-sight he and Callie experience is entirely plausible given the fertile heat of summer and their assignment to authenticate a rare manuscript. In her role as detective, Callie discovers her parents' marriage devolved long before her mother died. Her new sense of purpose gives her the confidence to confront her high-flying and exacting attorney father for the first time ever, forcing him to get to know her in a meaningful way. Callie's independence and focus on the goal at hand successfully override occasional moments of romantic overkill, offshoots of Orloff's apparent zeal to mirror Callie and August's courtship with the historical relationship they uncover. The author ties too many bright, shiny bows on the end of the book, but she does convey a valuable message that intellectual ardor can redeem and direct. A beach read that might inspire an interest in history. (Romance. 12-17)

Kirkus Reviews